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There’s nothing like a good cookie – and these Hausfreunde Cookies with Walnuts are some of the best. If you’re looking for a delicious treat perfect for any occasion, look no further! These cookies are easy to make and sure to please everyone. Best of all, they can be made ahead of time so you can enjoy them whenever the mood strikes. So what are you waiting for? Give them a try today!
Hausfreunde Cookies With Walnuts: The German Classic
Hausfreunde Cookies is one of the German’s favorite pastries that have this unique flavor combo. It’s nutty and sweet, with the right amount of tartness from the apricot jam. The preparation may be a little more tedious than normal, but the effort is just right for the holiday festivities. Hausfreunde means “house friends” in German, and these cute little cookies are friends that you’ll want to keep around for a long time. This recipe uses walnuts for toppings giving the cookie a little bite, while the almond paste gives the cookies a delicious nutty flavor. Apricot jam adds sweetness and a touch of tartness. These flavors all come together to create a cookie that is truly unique and oh-so-tasty. So if you’re looking for something different this holiday season, these cookies are definitely worth the extra effort, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
Pantry Staples
If you want to make Hausfreunde cookies, all you need are some pantry staples. The presence of the walnuts will give these cookies an extra touch. While the rest of the ingredients are the regular pantry needs, like flour, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and to name a few. For the almond paste, you can find it readily available in your local baking stores.
Almond Paste
As for the apricot jam, you can replace it with any other store-bought jams available. Or if you have plenty of time, why not make your own from scratch? With just a few simple ingredients, you can bake up a batch of these tasty cookies that are ideal for holiday dinners and festivities.
Apricot Jam
Let’s Make It Vegan
To make these lovely cookies vegan-friendly, you only need a few tweaks and tricks. You can start by replacing the flour with whole wheat pastry flour, and the granulated sugar is replaced with brown sugar. You can swap the butter with margarine or vegan butter, replacing the eggs with a flaxseed meal, and of course use vegan chocolate for your topping. These changes do not affect the cookie’s taste or texture, but they make it healthier and more environmentally friendly. Hausfreunde Cookies With Walnuts are a delicious and healthy treat everyone can enjoy.
Hausfreunde Cookies With Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ stick unsalted butter cut into cubes and chilled
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 oz almond paste or marzipan
- ½ cup apricot jam
Toppings:
- 5 oz dark chocolate
- ½ cup walnuts
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- To make a dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a standing mixer, combine it all together. Gradually add in the chilled butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Mix until you form a soft dough.
- Shape the dough into a disc, then cover it with plastic. Chill and let the dough rest for an hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F, line the two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
- After 1 hour, roll the dough on a floured surface for about ¼ inch thick. Then cut out cookies with a 2-inch circular cookie cutter.
- After that, transfer them gently to the prepared baking sheets and reroll the leftover dough, and cut it again into a circular shape.
- Bake the cookies for 20 mins. Halfway through baking, flip the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom to ensure even cooking. Take the cookies out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack.
- In a microwave-safe dish, heat the apricot jam until it is runny for about 30 seconds.
Layering:
- Apply a thin layer of apricot jam on half of the cookies and then cover them with the remaining cookies.
- For the almond paste, place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll it out ⅛ inch thick. Cut the almond paste using the same cookie cutter, about 24 round shapes.
- Layer the almond paste round on top of the cookie with a thin layer of apricot jam.
Topping:
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe container for 30 seconds interval while stirring in between.
- Dip the top of each cookie one by one in the melted chocolate and gently place it on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, prepare the walnuts by toasting them with sugar for 5 minutes until slightly browned and caramelized.
- Place one candied walnut on top of each cookie.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Dessert Recipe
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To Wrap It All Up
This recipe for Hausfreunde Cookies With Walnuts is the perfect blend of sweet and nutty. Adding walnuts gives these cookies a bit of extra crunch, while the almond paste has this chewy and nutty taste. If you’re looking for a new cookie recipe, this is it! These cookies are so good you’ll be tempted to eat the whole batch in one sitting. So why not bake a batch today and see for yourself? You won’t regret it!
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